Deputies kill family pet

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SAN MARCOS, Cali. – Callie Ford of Escondido rescued Jack, a Lab-Pit bull mix, when he was a year and half. He became a loyal family member and companion.

“He was always there to give you kisses, and to snuggle with you,” said Ford. “He was just a happy dog.”

Jack was even featured in a calendar to help raise money for spaying and neutering.

On April 4th, Ford’s mother took 5-year-old Jack and their three other dogs for a run on a dirt road at the end of Upper Eagles Nest at 28300 Lawrence Welk Court, in unincorporated San Marcos. As her mother and the dogs finished their outing, Jack, who was off leash, ran about 40-feet ahead of the others, towards their truck, Ford said.

“All of a sudden (my mother) heard gunshots,” said Ford.

Two San DiegoCounty Sheriff’s deputies opened fire, shooting eight rounds. Several of them hit Jack and killed him instantly.

“We’re devastated,” said Ford. “He was our family pet and we really miss him.”

The deputies’ report states that Jack charged them, barking and growling, and the deputies feared for their own safety.

But Ford said Jack had no history of aggression and her mother did not hear any barking or growling, disputing the deputies’ claims.

The Sheriff’s Department said they believe deputies followed policy and procedure.

“If the dog would have been leashed, or the owner would have been with the dog, the situation might have been resolved with a much better outcome,” said Lt.Michael Munsey of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has no formal protocol for deputies when discharging a firearm at a dog. “Deputies handle each situation as reasonably as possible, given the circumstances,” Munsey said.

Ford discovered that Jack’s case is not an isolated one. “All across the country, people’s dogs are being shot by police in horrific situations, in their homes, and in their front yards,” she said.

There is even a Facebook page called “Dogs Shot By Police.” It is dedicated to canines that have died at the hands of law enforcement.

According to Munsey, law enforcement dog shootings are much more common with dogs that are strays or off-leash.

Ford and other dog owners, say these kinds of shootings need to stop. They would like authorities to have more training in dog behavior and would like them to use non-lethal force when dealing with dogs.

20 comments

Dennis Baker

While anti BSL, pro pit advocates celebrate what they consider victories. We mourn another death . Thus far this year there have been 11 fatal dog attacks in the U.S. In every one of these deaths only one breed (type) of dog has been the killer .The pit bull has been the only type of dog to take human life so far this year. Please Pray for the families and loved ones of the following .(Beau Rutledge, 2 years old)(Jordyn Arndt 4 years old )( Claudia Gallardo, 38 years old ) (Tyler Jett, 7 years old ) (Monica Renee Laminack, 21 months old) (Daxton Borchardt, 14 months old ) ( Ryan Maxwell, 7 years old ) (Isaiah Aguilar, 2 years old ) ( Esile Grace, 91 years old ) (Christian Gormanous, 4 years old ) (Betty Todd, 65 years old ) What kind of people find celebration while lives are lost. At this rate within the next 10 to 20 days We will be adding another innocent victim to this list. Please join Us to bring regulation that will reduce the mauling and killing .https://www.facebook.com/ProtectChildrenFromPitBulls?hc_location=timeline

Ann

(and for the record, I own two Pits, and live in one of the wealthiest areas of the country….all of my neighbors, as well as the people who work at Lululemon, JCrew, etc, LOVE my dogs when I bring them around. Know why? They're Educated and open-minded enough to know dogs are just dogs. Most are good, and a few are bad.

Educate yourself properly before spewing cr@p from some random website as fact. BTW, most of the dogs they count as "pit bulls" in those salacious stories and websites aren't really even pits….they're an amalgamation of multiple breeds

Sheepy

Helen Cawyer

I have noticed that even calm dogs don't like police; I don't know if it is the uniforms, all that coffee, or what, but my dog always growls at them, while he is pretty nice to everybody else including the UPS man. But still, the law does state all dogs must be on a leash. I don't always leash my dog when he is in my yard, but I do otherwise. I also think that pit bull owners should have a special license and a special tag to show they have done all that they should to own that type of dog. These dogs often do kill adults and small children; they are loveable to their "family" but NOT to everybody else, including other dogs.

Michael

I agree with Joe 100%. These trigger happy cops should have access to batons, tasers, bean bag guns and/or mace. They thought it was a stray dog and ample for target practice. I bet if they had dashcam video of this, it would be disgusting to watch as they could have done something else. These cops are like the Southpark guys. "LOOK….ITS COMING RIGHT AT US….SHOOT" when the animal is 50-100yds away. I feel bad for Mrs. Ford.

ClairB.

I find a lot of these comments are quite accusatory, both towards the owner and the officers. You don't know what the officers were thinking, nor do you know enough about the owner to judge so harshly. Family of bimbos? Really? Wishing she had been shot? Over the top. And comparing officers to Southpark characters is nonsensical as well. The real issue is these animals are being murdered when non-deadly force is just as easy to apply.

Madonna

ClairB, Really? Murder? Murder is when one of these animals kill someone. The issue here is the OWNER not having the dog on a leash! I am just glad they killed it before it harmed a human. I should know i have a nasty scar on my arm from my friends dog whom they always claimed was a "big baby & harmless. Dog bites are quite painful and disfiguring. I hope the officers sited the owner for not having the dog on a leash.

Nova

Farnsworth

I see both sides of the coin. I always kept my dog on a leash even though they never once showed aggression. On the other side I think that pepper spray, a taser, or other form of deterrent could have been used. I wasn’t there so I can’t judge, but as a normal citizen if a dog came after me I would always attempt to use a swift kick to the face. If facts come out that support the families claim then I hope the deputies lose their jobs. If the facts support the deputies claim then I hope the family has to pay some fee and in the future keeps their pet leashed.

ETADIK

Julianna T

Stupid cops, so are they going to shoot at people who randomly run in front of them just because they might look suspicious? Oh, that already happened, remember that incident with the young man with down syndrome in Vista?! PATHETIC! North County police act like animals themselves "out of instinct" .

PLEASE! Like if a dog is going to kill you when your butt is sitting in a nice comfy "cruiser" car.